An unofficial analysis as of Wednesday reveals there are exactly 200 black players on MLS rosters, and they come from many corners of the globe. That presents a unique challenge for the newly formed Black Players for Change.
As black players from Major League Soccer circled the field with raised fists in a moving protest prior to the opener of the MLS is Back Tournament, they reminded us that even in America’s newest major sports league, the nation’s oldest problem remains prevalent.
Looking closer at the faces involved, however, should also reiterate that as injustices against black and brown people in the United States continue coming into acute following the death of George Floyd, they are not a uniquely American issue.
As the newly formed MLS player group Black Players for Change coalesces following the unrest related to George Floyd’s death, with the mission of improving black experiences in the league and beyond, the makeup of the population it represents challenges some assumptions about the black pro athlete in America and Canada.
An unofficial analysis as of Wednesday, July 8 reveals exactly 200 black players on MLS rosters, hailing from 35 different nations — according to their listed hometowns on player pages on MLSsoccer.com — and four continental federations: Concacaf, CONMEBOL, UEFA and CAF.
